Snow, Wind and Kisses
by DutchAver
Summary: Ivan celebrates his first christmas in Vale, but he isn't happy. The reason? Sheba. Windshipping and mentions of Flame- and Mudshipping. Merry christmas, everyone!


DISCLAIMER: I don't own Golden Sun, unfortunately.

* * *

It was in the middle of the winter, but the winter wasn't very hard on the people. Sometimes, a small wind crossed Vale, but that never lasted longer than a quarter. It was as if the weather was in the Christmas-mood as well.  
Because it was the day before Christmas, and that Christmas looked promising, with snow.  
It couldn't be more ideal. No wind, a soft temperature, warm enough to be outside and cold enough to let the snow stay. Ivan should be happy now.  
He was sitting on a Valean hill, looking at the village. If he could look closely, he could see people walking the streets. If he used Psyenergy, he could see who those persons were.  
And that was the reason Ivan was depressed.

If he watched Isaac's house, then he could see Isaac sitting there, with his head with Mia, writing a love letter for her with his present for Mia next to him.  
He was madly in love with her.  
With nine people, they saved the world, all of Weyard. It created a strong bond between the nine of them. It created love between Isaac and Mia, and Jenna and Garet. The former started having a relationship just after meeting Felix, Jenna, Sheba and Piers, and the latter had a relationship just after being back to Vale.  
Five of the nine people lived in Vale before the quest – after, it was all nine of them.

Well, New Vale, but the town was still called Vale. New Vale just didn't sound right to the villagers, so the new town of Vale was just called Vale.  
Piers was banned from Lemuria and couldn't go back there. So, he stayed in Vale because his friends lived in there, and they invited him happily, preparing a home for him.  
Mia was engaged to Isaac and moved to Vale because of him. She wasn't necessary in Imil anymore, because of the Healing Waters, so she moved to Vale, to the man she loved.  
Ivan moved without hesitation to Vale. He had his friends there and he had nothing to look for in Vault. Sometimes, however, he missed his old town. But, Vale was quite close to Vault, so he visited Vault sometimes. But he was more often in Vale than in Vault. Contigo could have been an option, but he decided not to. He couldn't put his friends behind him. But there was another reason.  
Sheba.  
She, too, moved to Vale shortly after their quest was over. Where would she be going else? Lalivero was no longer a possibility, if she was found, she'd be imprisoned again. She got too used to the normal life she lived to go back to Lalivero. Contigo was simply too far away from her friends to go living there, and so it was for Ivan as well.

All four of them got their own houses when Vale was rebuilt.  
Ivan chose a home up a hill, to feel the wind there the most, away from the plaza, although he could look down on there. He never liked crowds and preferred to stay away from them. He would rather be on his own.  
Well, on his own...  
He would rather be with Sheba.

Ivan looked down at Garets house; using Psyenergy, he found out Garet wasn't home. So he checked Jenna's house and found out Garet was having supper there. He felt his heart break slightly to see how much Garet and Jenna adored each other; they sat next to each other at the table.  
Ivan had only one love in the world, and it was obvious his feelings weren't replied.

Saying it was love at first sight would be wrong, but it was close to that. Just after re-meeting Sheba in Contigo, Ivan realized he liked her, her liveliness, her hair, her eyes... everything.  
It didn't take long for him to fall in love with her.  
But it was impossible for her to love him back.

He looked down on the house Sheba chose – on a hill, but still close to the plaza, closer than he was. He saw Felix walking up that hill with a couple of flowers.  
_It's obvious. The way she looks at him, the way they talk... she loves him. Not me, but him. I can understand it, I'm just... too shy and I detest crowds. I would be a horrible boyfriend. But still...  
_Felix and Sheba didn't have a relationship, yet, but Ivan knew it would only be a matter of time. And Ivan would be ignored; he had to find a love of his own. He understood that.  
He heard, using his Psyenergy, Felix knocking on Sheba's door.  
_And in ten seconds, Sheba will open the door and let him in with a smile.  
_Ivan, out of boredom, started to count down from ten to one, but the door remained shut. He counted down again, but nothing happened, even when Felix knocked the door again.  
_She isn't home._

"Hey!" Ivan, startled as he was, looked back and saw Sheba walking to him. He must have missed her walking upwards.  
_Why is she even here?  
_"Isn't this a nice Christmas?" Ivan answered her question with a slight nod, but still failed to comprehend why Sheba was sitting next to him. She had to be with Felix. So, he said: "Why are you here? Look down, Felix is..."  
"Knocking on my door? I know, that's exactly why I got away. Felix is a nice guy, but he can be a little bit sticky sometimes. I don't want his flowers... I came here for a word of advice." Sheba replied.  
_No way, I'm not going to help them improve their relationship!  
_"I don't know how... sorry..." Ivan replied. He wanted to see Sheba happy, but giving her advice how to handle her love with Felix was going a little too far.  
"You don't know how to reject someone nicely?"

Ivan's heart, that broke seeing Ivan, Mia, Garet and Jenna happy with one another, was cured.  
_No... no way...  
_He felt like he could dance, dance right down to the plaza and continue dancing there. He felt like screaming on the same plaza "SHEBA IS NOT IN LOVE WITH FELIX!!!" He felt like doing so much, but he couldn't. He wanted to hide his feelings for Sheba now, or she had to reject him along with Felix.

"Sorry, a slight misunderstanding..." Ivans mind went back to his body while answering Sheba's question.  
"But... why do you want to reject Felix?"  
_It's not that I want her to fall in love with Felix. I just want to know why, because maybe, just maybe.. _Ivans heart raced as he listened to Sheba's reply.  
"I'm in love with somebody else."  
_So there is someone in her life... and if that is the case, is it possible it is...  
_"Who?" Ivan asked tensely.  
"Can't tell you yet..." and Sheba smiled slightly, trying to hide the fact the color of her skin was changing slowly.  
Ivan failed to notice that, since he had the same problem. It grew silent for a while, both not daring to say anything, fearing the change in color on their faces would be noticed by the other. Eventually, it was Ivan who broke the silence.

"Erm... well... I haven't really rejected someone... but I think being fair is what does the most. Don't lie to him, just say what you think." Ivan looked down on Sheba's house and saw Felix was gone. But the thing that made him uneasy, was that he couldn't be found anywhere on the plaza...

"Sheba!" A third voice seemed to come out of nowhere, until Felix appeared with his red roses from behind Ivan's house. Sheba looked startled and didn't know what to do. Ivan looked at her, trying to get her attention, and nodded.  
"Felix, listen." Sheba stood up and told Felix the whole story. Why she liked him as a friend, but not as a boyfriend, why she didn't like the roses and why she'd rather wait for somebody else. Felix looked more sad with every word spoken by the blond girl. When Sheba was done, Felix began talking.

"If... you don't want me... then who do you want?" His lower lip was shaking slightly, betraying the fact Felix tried very hard not to cry.  
"There has to be somebody... you can't just... live your life a..." Felix didn't finish his sentence. He looked down and saw Ivan, as if it was the first time he had ever seen him.  
Ivan looked back on him with a mixture of fear and hope. Felix and Ivan continued looking at each other for a while, until Felix finally ran away. Ivan noticed how his tears reflected the sunlight while he was running down.  
_He was truly in love with her... but Felix thinks it's me... that's what I hope, but is it true?  
_Sheba and Ivan shared a look for a second, until she said: "He thought it was you." Her face came closer.  
"Was it?" His reply was. Sheba's face came even closer, bending down to his, as she was still standing and Ivan still sitting. Ivan started to move his face to hers as well.  
At last, their faces met...

_It was me.  
_It was Christmas Evening and all of them were celebrating the special day in Isaac's house, which was the biggest.  
All of them came in the house one by one, or couple by couple. Since there were more couples than singles, it was usually couple by couple. Ivan and Sheba came in second, after Garet and Jenna.  
"Hey, how do you do?" Jenna walked at them and greeted them with a smile. Sheba expected Jenna to be a little upset to say the least, because her brother was rejected, but she didn't show anything like that.

"We're doing great, thanks!" Ivan replied. Felix wasn't in his mind at all, there was only Sheba. Jenna chuckled.  
"I heard the good news, glad you feel so well! It was about time the two of you came together, it was so... obvious that it wasn't funny anymore!" Jenna replied.  
_Was it really so obvious? I failed to notice!_, Ivan thought, surprised.  
"And how is... Felix doing?" Sheba asked softly. Jenna's smile left her face, but she didn't seem angry at either of them.  
"He's not going to come to the party, but he did bring you presents. He's still in shock, I wanted to be there for him, but he said that I should just go to the party.  
Don't worry. He'll get over it, he always does." Sheba chuckled this time.  
"Yeah, he saved the world, so he can save his own mind, can't he?" Both the girls chuckled. Jenna went back into the living room, followed by Ivan and Sheba who were walking hand in hand.

Ivan felt happy. Not just happy, but incredibly happy.  
Living in the same village as the eight people you're the most bonded with because you saved the world all together is a good thing.  
Having a relationship with one of the eight, the one that is according to you the most beautiful is a very good thing.  
Celebrating Christmas with no-one but the nine of you, including the girl you've fallen in love with such a long time ago, that is... incredible.  
There was no word in proper English that could say how Ivan would feel. Even incredible would've been an understatement.

"Mistletoe..." Ivan awoke from his daydreams and saw Sheba standing in front of him. She pointed upwards. Ivan looked, not understanding, but he understood her quickly enough. Their faces bent over to each other as they kissed passionately.  
Ivan had celebrated Christmases in Vault, a lot of them, almost all since he was born, except for some in the first years of his life, which he celebrated in Contigo. But this one...  
The kiss ended and Ivan looked around. He saw Isaac and Mia, Jenna and Garet, Piers, Kraden... oh, Felix wasn't there, but that didn't matter. He would recover.  
He saw Sheba as well. He looked at her with all the love of the world in his eyes, while she looked back, smiling. He bent over for a second kiss.  
It was his first Christmas in Vale.  
And it was, quite simply, his best one.

* * *

I wish all of you a very happy Christmas!


End file.
